Photographic print drying frame



Dec. 30, 1941. w. B. MOORE PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT DRYING FRAME Filed Dec. 29, 1939 5 INVENTOR WoH-zr B. Mbore. BY 64'" W ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 30, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT DRYING FRAME Walter B. Moore, Coshocton, Ohio Application December 29, 1939, Serial No. 311,634

3 Claims.

My invention relates to a photographic print drying frame. It has to do, more particularly, with a frame which is adapted to receive and retain a photographic print in order to permit it to dry properly.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide a drying frame for photographic prints which is of such a nature that the print may be readily positioned in or removed from the frame.

Another object of my invention is to provide a photographic print drying frame which is of such a nature that it will receive and retain the print without injury thereto and will prevent warping or buckling thereof during the drying process.

Another object of my invention is to provide a drying frame of the type indicated which is of such a nature that air can readily reach all portions of the print thereby decreasing the amount of time required to dry the print.

Another object of my invention is to provide a drying frame which is of such a nature that it will offset the tendency of the print to buckle towards the emulsion side thereof during the drying process.

Another object of my invention is to provide a drying frame of such a structure that a plurality of the frames may be stacked and will be disposed in spaced relationship so that air may easily and effectively circulate therebetween.

Another object of my invention is to provide a drying frame of the type indicated which is very simple and which can be manufactured at a low cost.

The preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts and wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a drying frame made according to my invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view, partly broken away, of the structure shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view taken through the corners of two superimposed drying frames.

Figure 4 is an end elevational view of the drying frame.

Figure 5 is a side view showing a stack of my drying frames.

With reference to the drawing, I have shown my drying frame as comprising a bottom or base portion l and a top portion 2 adapted to cooperate with each other.

formed of longitudinally extending angle irons 3 and transversely extending angle irons 4. The side angles 3 are secured to the end angles 4 by means of corner brackets 5 which will be described in detail. These brackets 5 may be riveted or welded to the members 3 and 4. The members 4 are curved upwardly and are, consequently, of arcuate form. Secured to the frame formed by the members 3 and 4 is a sheet 6 of foraminous material, such as fine-mesh wire screen. The screen 6 may have its edges suitably secured to the horizontal flanges of the members 3 and 4. Thus it will be apparent that the lower portion I of the frame will be of arcuate form in crosssection.

The top portion 2 of the frame consists of a metal frame member formed of longitudinally extending metal bars 3a and transversely extending metal bars 4a. The members 3a and 4a may be secured together by corner clips 5a. Secured to the frame formed by the members 3a and 4a is a section 6a of foraminous material, such as fine mesh wire screen. This material 6a is in the form of a rectangle so that there is a large central opening 1 in the top portion 2. The portion 6a merely forms a border. The end members 4a are arcuately curved at substantially the same curvature as the members 4 of the bottom portion. The top portion 2 is slightly smaller than the bottom portion I so that it will fit within the vertical flanges of members 3 and 4.

Thus, the top portion 2 consists of a metal frame Gil The bottom portion 1 is composed of a frame having a plurality of sides, a narrow strip to of Wire mesh being secured to the inner edges of the sides of the frame and leaving the major portion of the interior of the frame unobstructed.

When member 2 is placed on member I, the foraminous border portion So on member 2 will contact firmly with the foraminous sheet 6 of member I. If a print is placed therebetween, as indicated in Figures 1 and 2, it will be gripped lightly therebetween. The member 2 rests lightly on the print disposed on member I but with sufficient weight to prevent warping or buckling of the print. However, because the weight of the upper member 2 is not great, shrinkage and expansion of the print will be permitted without marring or marking the print. It will be noted that the edge only of the print will be retained between members 6 and 6a.. Because the portion 6a is only a border portion, there will be no contact of the device with the emulsion side of the print, at the central area thereof, which is disposed uppermost.

Photographic prints shrink more quickly on the emulsion side thereof and, consequently, tend to curve or buckle towards the emulsion side. Since the print is placed with the emulsion side uppermost and since my device is curved in the manner described, it will curve the print in a direction opposite to that it would normally assume during the drying process if not held. Consequently, this will neutralize the effect of the more rapid shrinkage on the emulsion side so that flatter dried prints will result.

Because the edge of the print is retained between screened material, air can readily reach the edge portions and the drying thereof will be facilitated. The edges of the print will be retained in such a manner that distortion of the dried prints will be prevented. The fine mesh screen will lightly grip the print but will not mark the emulsion side of the print to any considerable extent due to the fineness of the mesh. Furthermore, it will be noted that the top portion of the frame merely embodies a relatively narrow border portion which will contact with the print.

The comer brackets 5 are so formed that the drying frames can be stacked in spaced relationship and will be held in alignment. Each comer bracket 5 comprises a lower leg portion 8 and an upper portion 9 separated by a horizontal shoulder I. As indicated in Figures 3 and 5, when the racks are stacked on each other the lower leg portion 8 will fit outside the upstanding portion 9 and will rest on the shoulder I0 of the corner bracket on the lower rack. Thus, these racks may be stacked and will be held in spaced relationship and in alignment with each other.

My device is of such a nature that the print may be readily positioned in or removed therefrom. Prints of various sizes may be mounted thereon as long as the edges extend beneath the border portion 6a. The print will be quickly dried and will not be distorted. The prints may dry quickly even if a plurality of frames are stacked, since air can readily be circulated therebetween, for example by a fan. My device is extremely simple and may be manufactured at a low cost. It is preferably composed entirely of metal which will not corrode.

Various other advantages will be apparent from the preceding description, the drawing and the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A drying frame for photographic prints comprising a lower member consisting of a closed metal frame, a sheet of fine-wire mesh having its entire outer edge secured to said metal frame, an upper member consisting of a closed metal frame, a narrow strip of fine wire mesh having its entire outer edge secured to said metal frame of said upper member throughout the entire periphery thereof and leaving the major portion of the interior of such frame unobstructed, said members being adapted to retain the print therebetween, said members being curved transversely.

2. A drying frame for photographic prints comprising a lower member consisting of a metal frame having a plurality of sides, a sheet of fine wire mesh secured to the inner edges of the sides of said metal frame, and an upper member consisting of a metal frame having a plurality of sides, a narrow strip of fine wire mesh secured to the inner edges of the sides of said metal frame of said upper member and leaving the major portion of the interior of such frame unobstructed, both of said members being curved transversely and being adapted to retain the print therebetween.

3. In combination a plurality of drying frames for photographic prints, each of said drying frames comprising a lower member consisting of a metal frame having a plurality of sides, a sheet of fine wire mesh secured to the inner edges of the sides of said metal frame, and an upper member consisting of a metal frame having a plurality of sides, a narrow strip of fine wire mesh secured to the inner edges of the sides of said metal frame of said upper member and leaving the major portion of the interior of such frame unobstructed, said frame of the lower member having corner brackets secured thereto, the corner brackets comprising a lower leg portion and an upper portion separated by a shoulder so that when a plurality of the drying frames are stacked the corner brackets of adjacent frames will interflt with each other.

WALTER B. MOORE. 

